The Scotland Grows Show celebrates two whole years of podcasting at the end of April. In that time, we’ve had over 50 conversations with those gardening and growing in Scotland, have been listened to in over 95 countries, and have received 5 star ratings from listeners.
Charting in the Apple Podcast Top 10 ‘Home & Garden’ charts in the UK, as well as in ‘Home & Garden’ and ‘Leisure’ charts in Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Ukraine, Japan, United Arab Emirates, and even breaking in to the U.S. charts has brought us utter delight as we’ve celebrated Scottish gardening by talking to gardeners around the country, finding out what grows well where they are, and picking up their top tips and stories along the way.
Listen out for a special celebration episode to mark our second birthday, and a huge thank you to all our listeners for your continued support.
Find the Scotland Grows Show on Apple podcasts HERE, Spotify HERE, or search ‘Scotland Grows Show’ on any podcast platform, and please do leave a review or rating, it really does help.
From inspiring ideas to innovative products and on-trend solutions for your home and garden, The Ideal Home Show Scotland brings together hundreds of brands to shop from, live talks from top celebrities, the latest technology, and fresh ideas.
As a Scotland Grows’ reader, you can grab yourself a pair of FREE limited supply tickets using our unique code HERE so don’t miss out on the chance to be inspired for your home and garden this year from 23rd-26th May at the SEC, Glasgow.
Our editor M.T. O’Donnell was a recent guest on the Women in Wellies podcast which explores the stories, experiences, and lessons of women in wellies. Tune in HERE to this episode and find lots of other great conversations with women in wellies.
The Scottish Society of Botanical Artists (SSBA) has taken on the organisation and mounting of the exhibition ‘Botanica Scotia’, which is Scotland’s contribution to the Botanical Art Worldwide Exhibition 2025 with the themes of heritage crops, diversity, and sustainability.
The goal of the exhibition is to draw attention to the vast variety of food and useful plants available to grow throughout the world in contrast with the relatively few varieties currently used in mass cultivation, focusing on foraged foods, and heritage vegetables and fruits, which have been grown in each participating country for longer than 50 years.
Alongside ‘Botanica Scotia’ will be a video slide show of the other 30 countries taking part worldwide. As a bonus, the SSBA’s own exhibition of beautiful water colours and drawings will also be on show.
The free to view exhibition will be shown at Customs House Gallery, 65 Commercial Street, Edinburgh EH6 6JE, from 15th-20th May, open 10am-4pm daily. Further information is available HERE.
Scotland’s only annual orchid show and fair returns for its 26th year to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, on 10th and 11th May, promising a feast for the senses and a unique opportunity to buy these wonderful plants to grow at home.
Held in the beautiful and historic Kibble Palace glasshouse in the Botanic Gardens, with the support of Glasgow City Council, there will be displays of flowering tropical orchids by regional UK orchid societies. Kibble Palace was recently described by ‘Gardener’s World’ presenter Monty Don as, “The best glasshouse experience in the world!”
Glasgow Botanic Gardens holds the National Collection of Dendrobium orchids and, alongside displays of flowering orchids, there will be educational stands with cultural advice and information - all you need to know about these intriguing wonders of nature and how to grow them at home. Members of the Scottish Orchid Society will be on hand to answer any questions from budding orchid enthusiasts.
Alan MacKenzie, Chair of the Scottish Orchid Society, said, “We place vital emphasis on ensuring that all the plants are ethically sourced and legally imported, which sadly isn’t always the case when buying from individuals over the internet. Our focus, as orchid-lovers, is increasingly towards conservation of these plants as so many are threatened with extinction in the wild. As amateur orchid-growers, we can help in conserving orchids by making sure that none of the plants we buy are taken from wild stocks, and by cultivating and sharing our own plants through orchid societies.”
Doors open at 10am until 5pm on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May, at 730 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0UE, and entry is free. For more information visit HERE.
SRGC’s Perth Show and Plant Fair is going to be a celebration this year being 75 years since the very first SRGC Show was held in Perth, so look forward to a display setting out the history of the show at the event on Saturday 12th April at North Inch Community Campus, Gowans Terrace, Perth, PH1 5BF.
Trellis announces the third World Therapeutic Horticulture Day will take place on 18th May 2025. This global event aims to highlight the numerous benefits that therapeutic horticulture can bring to individuals and communities, including stress and pain reduction, improved mood, increased physical activity, and a sense of connection to nature. Look out for activities around this date and try to support by liking and sharing posts online to help spread the word about the transformative benefits of therapeutic horticulture. Find more information HERE.
Dobbies has launched Dobbies’ Community Gardens to offer support for local schools, communities, and charity groups across the country to help transform, restore, or start local indoor or outdoor green spaces, inviting anyone who has a community space that needs gardening knowledge and inspiration to get in touch.
Each Dobbies’ store will select a project to support from the nominations that are made. Successful groups will get the garden centre’s help through product, tools, plant donations, and volunteer hours to help bring their community space to life and keep it blooming throughout the year.
Applications are now open and those entering must be located within 20 miles of a Dobbies’ store. More information about how to get involved in Dobbies Community Gardens can be found HERE.
Got garden or horticultural news to share with Scotland Grows' readers? Reach out by email, we would love to hear from you!